Sean Patrick Sullivan

Sean Patrick Sullivan, 32, quietly passed away in his Birmingham, AL home on March 21, 2022. Sean was born in La Mesa, CA. He graduated Woodland (CA) High School in 2008. Sean was a member of the FFA where he raised goats for sale and learned to weld. Sean had a spark for international adventure, selecting travel destinations and getting his family involved in the foreign exchange program. Julian Goldhahn, a WHS foreign exchange student from Germany, became Sean's "bruder" for life. Sean spent the summer following graduation with his new German family.Before high school graduation, Sean enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. Sean was attached to the 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, "The Walking Dead," at Camp LeJeune, NC as a mortarman. Sean's unit first deployed in 2010 as part of "Operation Unified Response" where they facilitated aid to the people of Haiti following a devastating earthquake. This deployment continued to the Indian Ocean where Sean trained and stood ready to support combat efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq. In preparation for his second deployment, Sean's love of animals showed through, and he volunteered to become a dog handler. Sean handled Gigi, a black lab trained to detect IEDs. As part of "Operation Enduring Freedom" Sean and Gigi deployed to Afghanistan. They were assigned to a patrol base in the Helmand Province where they performed daily patrols. Sean and Gigi returned home on Christmas Day 2011. Gigi was "retired" from active duty and Sean adopted her. Sean's second billet was to the Marine Corps Security Force Guard in King's Bay, GA. Cpl. Sean Sullivan was Honorably Discharged from the Marines in 2016.Sean became a certified welder and worked at the Trident Retrofit Facility in King's Bay. He left to fulfill a commitment to himself and his family to earn a college degree. He enrolled in the University of Alabama. Sean graduated in 2020 with a bachelor's degree in Business. Sean briefly moved to Boston but longed to be back in the south. He returned to Alabama in 2021.Sean was preceded in death by his beloved Gigi in 2021. He is survived by his "baby" sister, Alyse, of Nashville, TN; his loving mother, Holly and father, Carey, of Vancouver, WA, and grandmother, Joanne Anderson of Battle Ground, WA. He has many aunts and cousins that loved him in San Diego, CA. Sean will be interned with military honors at the Miramar National Cemetery on Thursday April 28, 2022, at 9:30 AM. Services are being coordinated by Charter Funeral Home of Calera, AL.In lieu of flowers the family asks you please consider donating to Mission K9 (www.missionK9Rescue.org), an organization that finds homes for retiring "war" dogs."Ooh Rah" and "Roll Tide" to you, Sean!
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